Uganda With Love

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. —Proverbs 31:8-9

I just want to start by thanking you for your support in my recent mission trip to Uganda.   Your support helped provide clean water, medical supplies, clothing, shoes, food, along with tuition to keep kids in school which is essential for changing their futures.  For that I can not thank you enough. I wanted to share with you some of the things I witnessed, along with those that impacted me personally during my time there.    

I left my home in Vancouver WA on Sept 3rd and traveled to Seattle to hop on a flight.   14 ½ hrs later we landed in Dubai, UAE where we had a layover before another 6+ hrs into Entebbe, Uganda.  We then traveled another 6 hrs by van to Lira, Uganda where we would be based for the majority of our time there.  

Each day while in Uganda, the mission team would head out to different villages to visit, bring supplies, and spend time worshipping, before hearing God’s Message.   I will say, worship in Uganda is taken to an entire new level compared to here in the U.S. We started referring to it as “Worship Aerobics” because of the level of praise, dance and singing witnessed each and every day.  What a wonderful testimony to God’s love to see individuals with so much less than the average American, yet so passionately praising God for what they have and His Grace. It was truly refreshing to see these communities come together for hours!   Along the way, I had the opportunity to engage and share basic first aid in many of these villages along with some youth that we were teaching new skills.

So many things happened each day, its difficult to put in words yet a few things resonate in my mind.  In one village where we delivered one of the clean water lifestraws that I had brought along, as we were teaching them how it worked, it was very obvious they realized the need to filter their water as they could see the difference the filter made.  In another village, near the nutrition center we are building there, they were overwhelmed as we got their water source fixed. Women and children no longer had to walk long distances for water, and did not have to worry about being harassed for using another communities water source.   What made this day stand out even more was while we were visiting, a torrential rainstorm hit. Over 30 of us ended up huddling in one house, (a room about 10x20) for at least 30 minutes, smiling, singing and praising.  

Another day while visiting a family that CRM is supporting we took backpacks to kids as they prepared for school to start the following week.  Students usually attend school from 7am-5pm and walk long distances to get there. They have to pay for their tuition or they cannot attend. This is a huge burden on many, and they end up dropping out.  Unfortunately, this also limits their chances for a better life without an education. For girls, they have a tendency to end up pregnant at very young ages. The cycle of poverty continues if we cannot keep them in schools. 

One of the most memorable moments for me however was the day we went into the hospital to visit mothers in the nutrition unit.  As someone who has been involved in Public Safety the majority of my life, I never could imagine state run health care being this grotesque.  I cannot describe accurately the unsanitary conditions these children and mothers were housed in as they try to save their child’s life. What made things worse was the fact that the hospitals do not provide food for the mothers while they are there caring for their children.  Family members need to supply for the mothers while they are there. This becomes a huge burden on the families. Realizing this was the best medical care available left me in tears as we left.  

This need in helping these mothers and children is really what started Child Rescue Ministries, who we worked with while we were there.   This grass roots organization was started by four gentlemen who are the backbone of Child Rescue Ministries. Many times they have given whatever extra they personally have to help the children and families they are supporting.  I cannot say enough about these 4 men, and their passion to help and their passion for the Lord.  I cannot say enough about Moses, Martin, Felix and Michael's committment to make a difference!!

Along the way, we had an amazing support team to help lead worship each day as we traveled into the villages.  Pastor Robert who joined us from Kampala, Dru, who is amazing at writing, and producing music, Jimmy, Emma, and Isaac who rounded out our team and our traveling band van.  Each day they would load and unload speakers, equipment, in each of the communities, provide as worship leads, and translators. These remarkable young men who were behind the scenes in so many ways supported our team.    I could not leave out Ruth and Patricia who worked tirelessly behind the scenes in keeping us fed.

 

Holy Spirit Sung by Eric Frank and Melinda Brazelton produced by Dru Kaden

2018 A Year in Review

Another Holiday Season is upon us... Another Year has come and gone. 2018 was another year of adventures for me. It was a year with some difficult struggles, some losses yet opportunities to grow personally and professionally.

The year started off with a work trip to Austin, TX where I had the opportunity to present and be one of just a handful of Emergency Manager’s invited to be part of the Annual American Meteorologist Conference. While there, I was able to explore the city a bit, including some great walking trails along the river and even munch on some tasty BBQ.

Family
In February, I made a trip back to Montana to celebrate my grandmother’s 95th Birthday. It as such a blessing to share in this celebration with family and friends. Shortly before I headed to Billings, I found out my mom was to undergo major back surgery. I ended up extending my trip for an additional 10 days to help care for her in those first few days post surgery and look after my grandmother.   Mom's surgery went well,  giving her some relief.  I am so thankful to work in a place that understands the importance of family.  This time gave me a new appreciation for all the time mom spent with grandma. It also was wonderful to have that amount of one on one time with my grandmother.

Public Education is Life
March found me settling into a busy work season. It kicked off the start of many evening and weekend events that lasted well throughout the summer. It also took me to Seattle a couple times working on solutions to better engage volunteers as well as problem solve in how to share messaging better with individuals where English may not be a first language.

April and May were all about work, yes all about work, as I helped organize and participate in several major events here at home. In the past several years of work, I have had the opportunities to partner with some amazing individuals and organizations. April and May allowed many of those relationships to showcase the incredible work being done locally to better prepare individuals for disasters and emergencies.

Eric Needs a Beach
At the end of May I had some friends from Montana visit, and was able to show them around a bit. As you all know, I love my beach time, and I was more than happy to share with them the wonderful Oregon Coast.

In June, I also finally visited Mt Rainier National Park. Although there was still plenty of snow, it was great to get up close and personal and take in a couple hikes and several waterfalls. June also took me to San Diego for a long weekend with some friends. While there, we also toured the U.S.S. Midway and was able to get a glimpse of where my grandfather spent some time during WWII. I was able to get a tour of the San Diego 911 Center including getting a 360 degree view of the city from their Helipad. It was great to get some beach time and with some friends, and I can’t wait to go back.

2018 also became the year I finally was able to grow a garden that produced, and produced and produced.  With all the fresh veggies grown this year, I also dove into food preservation.  I ended up putting up plenty of pickles, tomatoes, green beans, along with blackberries and strawberries.   I am really looking forward to expanding next year.

During July and August, I was kept pretty busy with work events, including staffing our booth at the county fair for 10 days, however I was able to make a couple baseball games in Seattle with friends in July, and make a surprise visit to Montana the end of August. It was great to get back and visit with family and friends, make it up the Beartooth Highway and do a little hiking and exploring in the 406. I was even able to make the first home football game of the season for the MSU Bobcats!!

September was another busy work month as I hosted our 9th annual online preparedness challenge 30 Days, 30 Ways. During the month, I give one preparedness challenge each day for 30 days. The online challenge has grown over the years, to having players in over 44 states and 38 countries. The challenge has also led to some great partnerships across the U.S. and in the U.K. Luckily the Bobcats played Portland State this year, here in Portland so I was able to make another game. Go Bobcats!!

Loss of Someone Special
In October, my grandmother passed away. I was able to make it back in time to say goodbye. Looking back now, I am so thankful for the time I got to spend in February and August with her. I spent a week back in Montana with family dealing with the loss. As difficult as it was to say goodbye, I have been comforted to know she and my grandfather are now reunited dancing in heaven.

I had vacation planned the second half of October, and although I felt a little guilty taking more time off from work, it truly ended up being good timing to have some down time to work through emotions and to recharge batteries. I spent a wonderful 10 days in Kauai with friends. This was the 3rd Hawaiian Island I have visited. It is truly a unique place from the chickens to the scenery. I really do long for an island home!

Bobcat Football
November found me back in Montana for the Brawl of the Wild, oh and yes Thanksgiving. This year I flew in due to bad roads. It was great watching the “Miracle in Missoula” as the Cats battled back to beat the griz for the third year in a row! It also marked our return to the playoffs. I also spent a wonderful Thanksgiving at my sisters playing games, watching football and eating too much.

2018 has certainly been a year of challenges, with lessons in balancing work, life and family. Through it all, I am thankful for the life I have, a job that allows me to put family first while still allowing me to grow, and a wonderful network of family and friends. I hope this year brought you many happy memories, and I wish you all the very best this holiday season... From me to you and yours... Merry Christmas and Health and Happiness in 2019!


Eric

A Year of Adventures

Another Holiday Season is upon us... Another Year has come and gone.  2017 was a year of adventures for me,  and a year of growth, both personally and professionally.  It was a year that had some heartache yet as a whole, it was a year full of laughs, friendships, and good memories that took me from one side of the country to the other.

Eric Needs a Beach

The year started off, with a beach, in Hawaii with both family and friends.  I spent most of my time on Maui with friends, but enjoyed an island hop to the big island where my sister and mom happened to be and spent a nice day with them including an amazing boat tour to see the lava flow.  It couldn't have been better timing.  While I was enjoying surf and waves, Portland got hit with almost a foot of snow and ice.  It also was perfect timing for me in needing a break and the opportunity to recharge my batteries. 

Loss of Someone Special

In March, my grandfather passed away.  I spent a week back in Montana with family and friends dealing with the loss, along with helping get my grandmother settled into her new life alone after 75+ years with him by her side.  

Returning To Work

I must admit, returning to work in March was a little difficult.  After dealing with the loss, I found myself really in a low spot and unmotivated in many ways.  Fortunately, a work event in Seattle pushed me forward and out of my funk.  I am so fortunate for the work relationships and friends I have made in this career.  A month later I was back in the Seattle area presenting once again on a topic that has become near and dear to me... Personal Preparedness. 

Milestones and Accomplishments

The beginning of May marked the five year anniversary of me moving to Washington State and working at CRESA.  I cannot get over how my life has changed in the past five years and opportunities and experiences that have been possible with this move.  It was a busy year as I was enrolled into two different leadership programs at the same time.  These classes and assignments kept me busy throughout much of the year.  I completed Leadership Clark County in June along with finishing the National Emergency Management Advanced Academy in September.  

Lots of Adventures

2017 found many adventures along the way exploring and hiking.  I spent many weekends chasing waterfalls exploring the Columbia River Gorge, walking on the beach along the Oregon Coast, Hiking the Beartooths in Montana, Exploring the Battlefields of Gettysburg, the Redwoods in Northern California, and the National Mall in Washington D.C.  

                               Family

In 2017, I finally saw my sister and her girls make a visit spending a week with me.  During the week we spent time on the coast, took in the zoo, along with other local attractions.  I loved having her here and hope she doesn't wait as long to visit again.  Mom made two trips this year.  A quick trip in August to help celebrate a cousins wedding anniversary and few more days in September.  Mom also was able to join me on the east coast in September. She had never been further east than Indiana.  Mom flew into Ohio to see her niece, and I drove over after finishing my class in Maryland. We had a wonderful roadtrip over the next several days through Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.  We spent a night at Niagara Falls, and another in Atlantic City before a spending a couple days in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area.  In November I traveled back to Montana for Thanksgiving.  During the week, I was able to spend quite a bit of time with my Grandmother and was even able to decorate her little apartment for the holidays before I left.  

Bobcat Football

Of course, my year would not be complete without some Bobcat Football.  I made the trek across Washington the beginning of September with a friend to watch the Bobcats battle the WSU Cougars.  It was another tough season for the Bobcats but it couldn't have ended any better with them winning at home beating the griz in the Brawl of the Wild!  #GoCatsGo

Overall, I must say 2017 was a very good year to me, and I am already gearing up for adventure time in 2018.  Several trips, both work and for fun are already in the works.  I hope this year brought you many happy memories, and I wish you all the very best this holiday season... From me to you and yours...  Merry Christmas and Health and Happiness in 2018!

Eric 

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Through  my life growing up there has always been one person that has been there for me.  Never failing, and giving selfishly many times where she would go without to try to make sure my sister and I had what we needed and many times wanted growing up.  I remember each year the way she would scrape together to make sure we always had an awesome Christmas.  As I have gotten older I have been able to look back on my childhood and realized how blessed I was.  I never knew how tight things were are certain times.  Mom always carried that burden and never showed it to us.

She has been a person that helped create the person I am by her example in caring for others. 

Today she is still taking care of my sister and I whenever she can.  Along with us, she looks over and helps care for my grandparents on a daily basis.  Putting others before herself, has just always been something she has done.

Later in life, my mom is not only someone I look up to, but someone I still go to when I need to just talk.  She is always there to listen, offer a hug, and whatever she can to help.  I think at times she worries over the things i am contemplating more than I am .

Now that I live in another time zone, one of the things I miss most of all is time spent with family. Visits home, never seem to provide enough time.  I could share example after example of her giving nature. I cannot share in words how much she means to me.

Today I just want to say... Happy Birthday Momma... Love Ya

Happy Birthday to my OLDER Cousin!!

Growing up, some of my fondest memories are on my grandparents ranch.  The wide open spaces, horses, and spending time with my cousins truly made my childhood one that I wouldn't trade.  It was a time filled with wonderful outings, but it seemed we were always together.  I've seen the saying that "Cousins are your first friends" and that could not be more true in my family.

On my dads side of the family there is a total of twelve of us.  I had the distinct pleasure of being right in the middle, and the youngest of the three boys.  For the most part, I never suffered from the "middle cousin syndrome."  I spent numerous weeks each year at the ranch, right along side my grandfather.  I was usually never overlooked or was treated differently by my other cousins.  To be fair, the middle group of us were all within a couple years of age, so there truly wasn't much of an age difference.  Like I mentioned we were all just friends.

There was however one cousin, who reminded me whenever it was important that she was older than me, even if it was just a few months.  As with most kids growing up, we tested boundaries, and who had the right to tell the other what to do when there weren't any adults around.

As we grew into young adults this constant reminder that she was older became a fun joke.. First as we turned eighteen, then 21 and other milestones down the road.  We would laugh and share jokes, and I would always claim it didn't really matter, and she would agree, although she knew it did.

That all changed when we turned thirty.  The joke had switched... I was still in my twenties and she was now old and in her thirties.  Finally I had the upper hand.  To this day, each year, when our birthday's roll around, i get the small enjoyment that she once again is older than I am, even if for just a few months.  Yes I am the younger of us two again,   Happy Birthday  to my dear OLDER cousin, Brenda!!  I hope you have an amazing day!!

More Than Just a Mentor....

This past week was one of the longest and most tiring weeks of my career.  Not because of working an emergency, heck that comes easy with a natural nudge from adrenaline and caffeine, but because of the unknown and saying goodbye to a mentor.

Many folks thought I had met Cheryl Bledsoe before I came to work for her at CRESA in May in 2012, but the truth of the matter is our first face to face meeting is when I came to Vancouver to interview for the position.  The reason it felt like we knew each other, started at least two years earlier through social media, when I was an Emergency Manager in a small rural county in Montana.

Over the next couple years I had the opportunity to engage with Cheryl on Twitter and other social media platforms, and gain valuable knowledge as I worked to include social media into the methods used in Montana.    Cheryl was even generous enough to share the tasks from her first year of #30Days30Ways for me to model my own Montana version of the game in 2011.

I began looking forward to our interactions on Twitter including something we called "Prime Time Twitter" which included a couple other friends in the Portland area and a friend in South Carolina.  Then one day in #SMEMchat, Cheryl shared there was an opening in her shop.  I decided to apply, for the experience, but really didn't think I stood a chance with an agency with such a reputable name.  I'm still a little amazed at that she brought me on board, but not only for the job, but for the chance to get to see the Cheryl we all see on Twitter is the same Cheryl in person.

I remember arriving at my new home with the Uhaul.  I was trying to figure out how I was going to get certain pieces of furniture unloaded, when guess who showed up... Cheryl and Tim.  This is just one example of the kindness Cheryl has shown me since I arrived.

Now in the last two years, I have had some great opportunities to learn from Cheryl, and just this past week, I had to sit in on one of the last classes she taught while at CRESA.  Once again I gained something from her.  I must say, its been difficult week watching her pack up the office as she moves onto the next chapter of her life.  Selfishly I was not done learning from her as an Emergency Manager, however I know there will be more opportunities as time goes on to work with Cheryl

At the same time, I know our friendship will now have the freedoms to grow without the restraints of boss/employee.  I know as I close the door of working in the same office with Cheryl, it opens another door, similar to when we first met through social media over 4 years ago.

Thank You Cheryl for the opportunity to learn from you, but most importantly for the friendship and kindness.  I am not only to blessed to call you a mentor, but friend!

Don't Stop Believin!!

I realized this past week its been quite sometime since I blogged about whats going on outside of my professional life.   Between work, and well work, it seems everything I share has now been associated with Emergency Management and trying to improve and build on who I am in this field.

Sometimes, however it seems I lose focus that there is a part of me outside of who I am as an Emergency Management Coordinator for a county in Southwest Washington.    I forget about how much I enjoy getting out into nature and the love I have in capturing what I see in pictures.  I forget about the little joys of just chilling in my back yard with a glass of tea enjoying some sunshine.  I forget about the struggles I seem to consistently fight in trying to lose and maintain a healthy weight that I so long to have.

And that today is my focus as I take a few moments to write this.  This blog will take on that role for as I try to hold myself accountable in keeping with daily workouts, and eating a healthy portion controlled diet.  I keep saying no more excuses, but I always seem to find just one more, and then get so upset with myself as I find others in my life having such success.

They fire me up, and I need to stay fired up.  I did it once, why can't I again.  I am ready to shed this old me once again.  Perhaps putting it in writing for others to see will be the motivation and help I need to keep with it.  So I ask you as friends and family, don't hesitate in sending a message asking me how I did today... If you do not see me post something for a couple days on my workouts or what I am eating, call me out on it!

I saw this quote from Jillian Michaels today...
"You Can look for external sources of motivation and that can catalyze a change, but it won't sustain one.  It has to be from an internal desire." 

I keep seeing feeling the catalyst, but I seem to fall short.  I know I am ready... I just need to keep my eyes on the prize and have faith in myself.  

I'm ready!! It's Never too Late!  And once more... No More Excuses!!   If You are like me....